


Warrior...Princess...Doctor

by TimeandSpaceNovelist



Series: Doctor Who : Series 13 AU [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005), Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: Action/Adventure, Ancient Greece, Crossover, F/F, Female Friendship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Fun, Gen, Historical, Humor, Memories
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:01:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29880831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimeandSpaceNovelist/pseuds/TimeandSpaceNovelist
Summary: After a request put forward by Yaz, the Doctor and her friend travel to Ancient Greece in an attempt to discover the reality of and meet one of Yaz's heroes.
Relationships: Gabrielle & Xena, Gabrielle/Xena, Thirteenth Doctor & Xena (Xena), Thirteenth Doctor & Yasmin Khan, Thirteenth Doctor/Yasmin Khan
Series: Doctor Who : Series 13 AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2201088
Kudos: 4





	1. Fresh Start

**Author's Note:**

> So this is officially my second long form fic. This is potentially gonna be a good one I hope. I'm not sure if I will continue it as a series, but you can definitely consider this as a part of Series 13 or at any point past Revolution of the Daleks. Hope you guys enjoy it!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A request from Yaz to the Doctor takes them to Ancient Greece, where they encounter an unexpected figure.

Police work was never how they made it look like on TV, at least not for PC Yasmin Khan. There were no shootouts, no car chases, not even catching a criminal. Mostly, it comprised paperwork, solving domestic disturbances (parting fights, noise complaints) and a lot of nothingness. Today, in particular, was one of the more boring days. She’d spent most of it filing reports, and the rest of it catching up on any stuff missed on social media (out of view of her superiors, of course). But now, finally, she could leave work and do something else that wasn’t mind numbingly dull. 

She took out her phone and went to dial her parents’ number. She admittedly hadn’t been in as much contact with them as she probably should have, but she had her reasons for it. Traveling through time and space usually kept you busy, and that along with work made it hard for her to regularly call and text her family. She missed spending time with them sometimes as the visits got more and more sporadic. Ever since Graham and Ryan left, she found herself spending more and more time with the Doctor, even spending the night a few times. She didn’t quite know what that meant, but she didn’t really want to worry about it. She hadn’t had the heart to tell the Doctor about how she stayed on the other Tardis and did her best to find her. She didn’t want her to think she was weird, or obsessive. She really just wanted to find her, this woman who she admired more than anyone she’d met before. Even when the Doctor asked if she wanted to leave, she answered almost immediately. Was that desperate sounding? She didn’t know, but what she did know was that she wasn’t ready to leave the Doctor, not in the slightest.

Before she could press call on the phone, her eyes sighted a familiar sight, one that recently made her heart sing whenever she took it in. The Tardis, with the bluest blue you’ll ever see. Blue had always been her favorite colour when she was a kid, but now it became special to her, important to her. She stuffed her phone back in her pocket and she strode towards the box with an excitement in her heart and a pep in her step. She pushed the doors open and entered what was her safe haven, doing so with a smile as she went to meet the woman who was her best friend in the entire universe. 

The Doctor stood hunched over the Tardis console, biscuit in one hand, and flashlight in the other. She popped the biscuit in her mouth as she did another check on the console just as a precautionary measure. She felt that after she had left the Tardis for so long during her imprisonment; it needed a once over, just in case anything happened when she wasn’t there. She hadn’t really done any checks on the Tardis since her first run in with the recent Master, but if she was honest with herself, this check wasn’t out of concern for her sexy. It was to distract herself. Despite the talk with Ryan and the moment of clarity, she really hadn’t had a proper think about her true history. If she was honest with herself, she was scared. Scared of what she would think of herself if she thought too long about it. So she would find something to do to take her away from those thoughts, whether it’d be checking the Tardis, reading a book or even using the Wii (yes, she had a Wii. They’re fun, don’t judge her).

Her attention was diverted because of the sound of the Tardis’ doors opening. As she turned around to see who it was, a smile came over her face. As much as she enjoyed Graham and Ryan, she’d be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy travelling with Yaz the most. The times they had done stuff together were the ones she enjoyed the most, in the Fam’s time together. Which is why it hurt so much to see how angry Yaz was at her disappearance. She knew that being who she was, meant that relationships always had an expiration date, but ever since she lost Amy and Rory, she made it her mission to make whatever time she could have with her friends as fulfilling as possible. The same principle applied to Yaz, doubly so after seeing her eagerness to stay on board the Tardis. She put down the flashlight as she stopped work for a while and greeted her friend.

“Hi! How was your day? Want a biscuit?” the Doctor asked, picking up and holding out the tin of biscuits she had set on the console for snacks during her work. 

“Sure.” Yaz said as she happily took a biscuit from the tin, sitting down on a nearby chair. She slung her bag off her back and placed it on the chair, her intentions of staying a little while being quite clear. Home could wait a little while, hanging with the Doctor would be fun.

“So what brings you here? Not that I don’t love the fact that you’re here, but I expected a phone call first.” the Doctor asked her. Yaz, like all of the Fam, usually called ahead when they wanted to take a trip. This unexpected visit wasn’t unwanted, but just odd.

To be quite honest, Yaz just moved on instinct. Her intention was to head home, but seeing the Tardis there diverted her attention and mindset. It was like she was drawn to it. Like there was an urge to be there. Was that something to worry about? She didn’t know and frankly, most of the time, she didn’t even care. It was the one place besides home she could relax and have fun in, and even then, it was beginning to surpass home for her. “I had just come off work, and I saw the Tardis, so I wanted to pop by and give you a visit.” she said with a smile.

That was enough to convince the Doctor as she matched Yaz’s smile as she continued on with her work. “I’m afraid you’ve not come at the best time. I’m doing a maintenance check on the Tardis.” The Doctor didn’t want to bore Yaz with any of these things. It was required, but it wasn’t the most interesting of activities. Which is why she was quite surprised with what Yaz told her next. 

“Can I help? I may not understand a lot of what the Tardis is, but I reckon I could hold a flashlight.” Yaz said jokingly as she offered her services to the Doctor. The idea right now wasn’t to do anything particularly exciting, but rather just to be with the Doctor. It was something she increasingly was beginning to enjoy a lot. Sure, the running and the adventures and the amazing sights were great, but lately, she had been wanting more of the quiet moments with her. Moments where they just sat down and enjoyed each other’s company. She didn’t quite know what brought this recent urge on, but she chalked it up to needing someone to have those moments with since Ryan and Graham had left.

“I’d love that.” the Doctor said as she passed the flashlight over to Yaz as she got up. The check went a lot faster than before, thanks to the extra hands of Yaz. The two had just finished their work when Yaz’s phone went off in her pocket. The ringtone wasn’t the loudest, but the Doctor could hear it still. It sounded Bulgarian in nature with the choir singing in the language. But she knew Yaz wouldn’t have just a random Bulgarian ringtone. So she listened a bit more to it, picking up more hints from the melody and the instruments. Once she had completed her assessment, she decided to make sure if her detective skills were still in order.

“Yaz. Is the Xena Warrior Princess theme as your ringtone?” the Doctor inquired. Yaz’s cheeks flushed red as she heard the Doctor’s question, showing that she was right. She didn’t know why she was embarrassed about that. It was a pleasant song.

“Yeah, yeah it is.” Yaz softly stated, the blush not moving from her cheeks. She absentmindedly switched it off, not even checking to see who it was. All she wanted was the song to not play. 

“You don’t have to be embarrassed about it. Trust me, I’ve had way worse ringtones, when I had a phone. “the Doctor said, comforting Yaz.

“It was honestly a random thing I did when I was bored. I was watching the show, and I thought it would be a fun thing to have as my ringtone. I obviously forgot to take it off.” Yaz told her as the redness from her cheeks subsided, her explanation of why it was her ringtone helping her out. 

“Are you a fan of the show?” the Doctor asked, Yaz’s nod giving her her answer. She had seen it a few times. It was a decent enough show. Not remotely historically accurate, but then again, most shows weren’t. 

“Watched a lot when I was a kid and got back into it recently,” Yaz said as she gained a warm smile on her face, “It makes me happy when I watch it and it even kinda helped inspire me to be a police officer. I wanted to be like Xena when I grew up, saving lives and helping people. When I obviously realized that I couldn’t do that, I took a different path haha.”

The Doctor smiled warmly at Yaz’s admission. It was honestly very sweet. The urge to help and be someone people look up to. It came from a young age. It was one of the qualities she admired most in Yaz, one that she hoped she was helping increase in the young police officer. The Doctor really tried to be the best example for her companions, even if sometimes it never worked out how she wanted, her friends ending up too much like her in the end.

“So, you really like Xena then?” 

“Honestly, if I could meet her, it would be amazing.” 

“That’s where the problem lies, unfortunately. She’s just a fictional character. Never existed.” the Doctor said as she took the flashlight from Yaz and placed it back underneath the console.

“Yeah, yeah. I know,” Yaz said with a hint of disappointment, “unless… It doesn’t hurt to try does it?” she continued with an intriguing tone to her voice. One of possible hope, but also anxiety. 

“You’re only gonna set yourself up for disappointment, Yaz. Xena is not a real person. She’s a character played by an actress on a tv show,” the Doctor said to her with a sigh. 

“I’ll take the pain if it doesn’t turn out to be true. But we can at least try. You once told me you met Robin Hood. Is he not also a fictional character?” Yaz debated, her arms folded as she gave the Doctor a sly smirk.

“Well...that was different...He was ..it was...Oh, fiddlesticks. Fine. But I’m telling you you won’t find her. “the Doctor said, flustered. She had been called out there. She had thought the same of Robin Hood until she found out he was real as well.

“Well, we’re just gonna have to find out, won’t we?” Yaz said with a smug smirk on her face. Rarely did she ever get one over on the Doctor, or ever often see her so flustered and not in control. 

The Doctor sighed. She had to keep good on the deal. She knew it would disappoint Yaz, but at least they could probably get some time in Ancient Greece and have some fun there. If they landed at the right time, they could even meet Socrates, and she could get back her phone from him. She went over to the main part of the console and began setting the coordinates. “Earth, Greece, 7th century BC.” she said as she pulled the level and the Tardis began to take off. She turned to her side and saw the utter joy on Yaz’s face as they headed to their destination. It made her smile as well, Yaz’s happiness and excitement being infectious. Right now, she really didn’t want to be anywhere else in the universe other than at Yaz’s side. 

* * *

After a few seconds, the Tardis materialized and touched down at their desired destination. Both women looked at each other, unsure of what to do next. The Doctor went to the scanner and checked it to scope out the area. The air was breathable; the weather was pleasant, and it seemed inhabitable. So at least they didn’t land in some barren wasteland without oxygen. That was good. The Doctor looked at Yaz again, who was noticeably breathing faster than normal, her excitement and nerves of possibly meeting one of her heroes overcoming her. The Doctor went over to her and enclosed her hand within her own, giving it a few squeezes for comfort. 

“You ready?” the Doctor asked with a small smile on her face. The Sheffield native took a few seconds to respond, but she eventually nodded her head. The Doctor went to go check it out first, but was pulled back by Yaz. The Doctor immediately understood her reasoning as there was a nervous look on her face. Yaz was never one to be nervous, always going into danger head on, but this was quite different. The Doctor wasn’t new to feeling like this. She had been very nervous before meeting some of her idols before. She was particularly quite excited when she met Shirley Bassey, something she needed Clara to calm her down for. She knew what to do for her then. She always knew what to do. But it was the Doctor’s turn to try and be the one helping the other calm down.

“You don’t mind if we go out together, do you?” Yaz asked in a small voice, her trepidation of asking the question showing. She wasn’t meant to be nervous or scared. She was a police officer. She was supposed to be brave and calm in the face of most things. But this was something she never thought possible and something she dreamed of as a kid. So just this once, she allowed herself to be a bit nervous. 

“Not at all,” the Doctor responded, “we go out when you’re comfortable and ready.”

Yaz took a few deep breaths before closing her eyes and imagining what this potential meeting would be like, what she would say, and how the Greek heroine would react. Then a smile came upon her face as she found herself prepared to go out now. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”

“That’s the spirit. Allons-y! Wow, haven’t said that one in a while.” the Doctor said, surprising and laughing to herself. Yaz didn’t quite understand why, but from what she said, it seemed to be something from her past, which she was slowly but surely getting the Doctor to open up more on. The two walked towards the door, hands linked as they set out for a potentially very exciting adventure.

As they arrived outside the door, they allowed the warm air to hit them as they took in the place's atmosphere. The Doctor slowly broke away from Yaz, whose acceptance of it meant she was better now. She leaned onto the floor and picked up some grass from the floor of the field they were in and tasted it, much to Yaz’s disgust but also delight, finding the Timelord delightfully weird at some points. “Definitely the right place,” she said as she then took her finger and placed in her mouth before taking back out and letting the wind hit it, “On a Tuesday.” 

Yaz could only laugh as she just watched the Doctor in action, doing what she did best, being an adorable weirdo. Did she just say adorable? Is that what she thought of her? She shook the thoughts out of her head as she got back to the task at hand. “So where do we go now?” she asked, eager to start this adventure properly.

“I say we head to the nearest tavern and probably ask around. Local information.” the Doctor told her as Yaz agreed by nodding. 

“One problem, though. Which way do we go?” Yaz asked, which was a valid question. The field was filled with faded green grass and peppered with large trees, but both the paths to the left and right looked identical. 

The Doctor looked around before spotting someone up ahead. “Ah, well. We’ll just ask that person on their horse.” The two began walking and closed the space between themselves and the traveler. As they got closer, the stranger began to be more visible to them. They saw that it was a woman at first, but as her features became more known to them, the two of them became quite concerned. She had long dark hair, which cascaded down her shoulders, touching her armour that she wore. Her skin was white, but darker than the average person, which meant she spent a lot of time in the sun. The armour she wore was quite basic, which the Doctor supposed allowed for easier mobility. The quickest glance she got at her eyes showed that they were strikingly blue. 

But that didn’t make any sense. There was no way. She felt something grip her hand tight as she looked over and saw an incredulous look on Yaz’s face that shifted between shock and absolute joy. The woman came to a complete stop as she sought to help these two strangers who somehow found themselves in the middle of a field.

“Are you two lost? Do you need some help getting to the city? I just came from there if you want a ride there.” Xena said with a comforting smile as she sought to help the two presumably lost women.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then, the Doctor and Yaz especially have gotten what they wanted. Now what?


	2. Meetings and Messages

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arriving at a tavern, Xena, Yaz and the Doctor find their little get together ending early as Gabrielle comes bearing a scroll with an important mission.

Yaz’s mouth was agape as she took in the sight that was in front of her. Traveling with the Doctor obviously meant you saw sights beyond your wildest dreams, but this was something that made her more shocked than whatever alien planet she’d ever been on. Xena was in front of her, right there, in the flesh. This was something that she never thought she’d ever witness, even as a friend to the Doctor. Without noticing it until it was fully up, the Doctor closed Yaz’s mouth for her, knowing that it would be awhile until she did it herself. Being the one that was slightly less in awe, albeit still surprised, the Doctor took it upon herself to speak first.

“Hello! Yes, we just need a lift into the city, possibly to a tavern. I’m the Doctor by the way and she’s Yaz. We’re not from around here, so we didn’t know the lay of the land really.” the Doctor said, as she tried to keep her own excitement and confusion over the Warrior Princess’ existence intact.

“Just the Doctor?” Xena asked as the Doctor nodded, “Well, I was going to head to a nearby city myself, but I don’t mind taking a short detour. Hop on.” Xena said as she offered the two a lift.

“Thank you very much. How can we repay you?” the Doctor asked, not wanting to be ungenerous to her.

“No need, I’m happy to help. Though you could explain your friend’s… interesting reaction to me.” Xena asked, with a small smile. She was accustomed to getting that look from men most of the time, but hardly ever did she see it from a woman, especially one who didn’t look like she was from around here.

“Oh, she’s just a big fan of yours. She’s heard the stories. In fact, she says she wants to be like you.” the Doctor said with a sly smirk, explaining Yaz’s reaction while slightly embarrassing her in the process. The extremely tight squeeze on the Timelord’s hand and the blush on Yaz’s face served as enough knowledge that she got what she wanted.

“Ahh. Well, it’s always nice to meet an admirer. My job isn’t an easy one by any stretch, but it’s great to see that people want to help others.” Xena said as she offered her hand for Yaz to shake when the two got on Argo. Yaz carefully shook it, easing into the feel of it, eventually.

The Doctor could only shake her head in silent laughter as she took in Yaz’s reaction. She had had this with Clara as well when she met Robin Hood, and a bit when Rose met Queen Victoria. She always found it interesting how much admiration they had for these figures from history. She had never seen Yaz like that before and was enjoying it to the full. She wondered if there was anyone else who could make Yaz act like that, someone she admired so deeply. Her mind wandered to herself, but she threw it out quickly. She wasn’t a role model. She tried her best but in the end; she was just an idiot with a box, passing through helping people along the way. Not someone to really idolize or look up to.

“Helping people has always been something I lived by. I want to help make the world a better place, and you start that by helping the people who inhabit it first.” Yaz explained as she finally got her bearings as Xena set Argo off on the trip back to the city.

Xena smiled as she listened to Yaz and her love of helping people. She reminded her of Gabrielle when she first joined her on her travels. She worried sometimes about what she had turned Gabrielle into by this point. Sure, she was the most loyal of friends one can ask for and someone who always tried to do what was right, but she wondered what it had done to her soul. That innocent girl was gone, and in her place was a woman who would do whatever it took to accomplish her goals. Even it meant killing to do it. She hoped Yaz would not end up the same way, for her sake and for the Doctor.

* * *

The trio eventually reached the city of Lapithasa, a small place really, but with a bustling amount of people who seemed to always be busy. Xena weaved through groups of working people before making her way to the nearest tavern. The trio dismounted as Xena tied up Argo to one of the stands before they all walked in. The tavern was unusually emptier than usual, only being semi full.

“You guys go pick a table. I’ll go get us something to drink. You guys want anything in particular?” Xena asked, wanting to make the two feel comfortable and at ease.

“Just water will be fine.” the Doctor said, as Yaz nodded along, showing her want of the same. Xena then went off, leaving the two on their own for a little while as they went to the table.

Yaz really couldn’t hold it in anymore and with as much tact as she possibly can, told the Doctor, “And you said she wasn’t real. Looks like you don’t know as much history as you think.” She was smug, yes, but could you blame her? For once, the Doctor actually didn’t know something which was as impressive as it was intriguing to the Doctor.

“Indeed, it appears I have some blind spots….,” the Doctor said with a tone of concern, “Well, I’m only Timelord. I can’t know everything about history. Even I’m not that good.” she continued as the tone shifted to her usual upbeat self, which Yaz picked up on. The Doctor stood up to fix her coat, when someone bumped into her and didn’t apologize. She wanted to shout at him, but she simply stared at him for a few seconds as he made his way out of the tavern. She didn’t know why, but she felt a weird chill come over her, like one of a foreboding nature. She sat back down eventually as Xena returned with the drinks.

“Rude much?” Yaz said as she was slightly angered by the person’s disregard of personal space to her friend, “What’s his problem?”

“We get guys like that coming in places like here all the time. It’s best to ignore them.” Xena said as she passed around the drinks.

Yaz noticed that the Doctor was still a bit out of it as she kept staring at the entrance to the tavern that the person came in from. Seeing the Doctor like that made her more worried than she probably should be, but she wanted to make sure it was nothing, regardless. “Doctor? You alright? You look as if you saw a ghost. Do you know him?” she asked her, putting her hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

“Hmm? Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. No, I’ve never once seen him before.” the Doctor said, her attention being brought back to the table and those with her.

“So why were you staring at him?” Yaz inquired.

“Too much time travel, I guess. You feel as if you’ve always seen someone before, or maybe you’re going to see them in the future. I don’t know, really. Even I get confused sometimes by it.” the Doctor explained, as she took a sip of her water.

Xena didn’t quite understand much of what the Doctor said, but she understood some of it, enough to ask a good question. “Oh, so like a premonition ?”

“Ah, you see, that’s the thing. People talk about premonition as if it’s something strange. It’s not. It’s just remembering in the wrong direction.” the Doctor said, as she experienced a great deal of Deja Vu from saying it. She was sure she told Clara that once before.

The trio sat down enjoying each other’s company before the tavern’s door bursting open got their attention. A young blonde-haired woman came into the tavern, scroll in hand as she went over to their table and straight to Xena. Yaz needed little to tell that this was Gabrielle, Xena’s best friend (and possible lover, Yaz knew what side of the debate she was on). While she wasn’t as nervous with Gabrielle, she still had her moments. “Hi” Yaz said, with little thought.

“Hello.” Gabrielle said as she flashed Yaz a smile, realizing that she kinda didn’t greet anyone at the table. She’d get to full introductions, eventually. This was important. “Xena, someone asked me to deliver a scroll for you. They said it’s of great importance. I’ve not read it.”

“Thanks, Gabrielle.” Xena said as she unfurled the scroll and read it intently, her eyes widening as she went through it. She finished her drink and set the glass down as she began getting ready to go. “I’m sorry to cut this short guys, but Gabrielle and I have an urgent appointment with King Hypeirochus.”

“Actually, maybe we can help you with that.” Yaz said, speaking up, much to the surprise of the Doctor.

“That won’t be necessary. We can handle this on our own. It’s probably too much for you.” Gabrielle told her, as a way to let her down gently. She didn’t know who these two were. She assumed friends of Xena, which made them good people, but she certainly didn’t need them coming along.

“On the contrary, the Doctor and I have faced many difficult tasks in our time traveling together. Haven’t we, Doctor? She’s quite good at fixing things.” Yaz said, much to the chagrin of the Doctor, who found herself blushing as she took in Yaz’s compliment and Xena and Gabrielle staring at her.

“Well, I..I.. I wouldn’t say I’m quite good at it. I’m perfectly adequate.” the Doctor said as she tried to downplay Yaz’s words. She really wanted this to be a fun adventure. She wasn’t in the mood for danger right now.

“Trust me, she’s being modest. She’s amazing at it.” Yaz said, combating the Doctor’s assertion.

“Ok, well if you two are good as you say, then you should come along. We may need a lot of help” Xena said as she handed Gabrielle back the scroll, who wasn’t pleased at her friend’s offer to come along.

“Uh. Xena, what are you doing? We don’t need their help. We work best as a duo.” Gabrielle told her. She was sure that even if that woman was telling the truth and they were good, they didn’t need them.

Xena pulled Gabrielle aside so they can talk more in private, wanting to get this message to her friend out of earshot of Yaz and the Doctor. “Look, I trust those two. They seem like good people. Plus, we need all the help we can get. King Hypeirochus’s daughter got kidnapped last night, Princess Latona. I’ve known that family for a while and I want to make sure we can save her and get her back.”

Gabrielle wanted to object, but she took in the information and understood exactly why they needed those two. “Ok, they can come along but you’re gonna have to bail them out if they get in trouble.” 

“Nothing I’ve never done before. In fact, I remember I used to have to get you out of a lot of scrapes.” Xena said with a sly smile as she teased her best friend.

“Hey, I’ve gotten much better at it now. In fact, I’ve even saved you a lot of times.” Gabrielle said defensively, but it was quite easy to see that it was mostly in jest and equally a tease.

“A few times, let’s not get out of hand here.” Xena said smiling as she put her arm around Gabrielle, who laughed as she enjoyed this brief moment with her best friend.

* * *

While those two had their chat, the Doctor tried to find out exactly why Yaz did what she did. “Yaz, why did you tell them that for? I don’t want to get involved.” she said, a bit miffed that Yaz just blurted that out.

“Come on. This would be loads of fun. I know you’d like it a lot. Plus, when are we ever gonna get the chance to go on an adventure with Xena and Gabrielle?” Yaz said, with an excited smile on her face.

The Doctor couldn’t stay mad at Yaz for long, not with that smile and with that kind of attitude which mirrored her own a lot of the time. “Fine, we can do it. You’re right, it seems like it would be fun.” she admitted. 

“What was that? I’m what?” Yaz said, pretending to not have heard, the Doctor knowing full well what she wanted to hear.

“You were right.” the Doctor told her, stressing on every word to make her point.

“Thank you. Glad you could understand that.” Yaz said with a smug smirk.

“You’re becoming a lot more smug lately. I don’t think it’s very becoming of you.” the Doctor said, having a bit of fun with Yaz.

“Means you’re getting to know me better. Trust me, I am a horrible winner. My sister can attest to that.” Yaz said with a laugh, remembering her and her sister’s battles on board games and video games.

Xena and Gabrielle returned to the table, Gabrielle now on board with the duo coming with them. “Ok, you guys can come along. All I wanna know is what are your names? If I’m going to trust you, I at least need to know that.”

“Ah, right! Well, I’m the Doctor and this is Yaz. “

“Just the Doctor?”

“Just the Doctor.”

“Well, alright. Now that we’ve all been introduced somewhat, let’s get a move on.” Xena said as the Doctor and Yaz got up from the table as well. The quartet walked out of the tavern and onto to Argo and Gabrielle’s horse as they rode towards King Hypeirochus’s castle, a mission of grave importance awaiting them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like we got ourselves a bit of a mission on a hands. Those four handling it though, well it's gonna be a fun ride.


	3. Investigations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now at the castle, the quartet get started with their investigation, hoping to start their search of the kidnapped Princess.

The journey was not as long as expected, as the Doctor and Yaz got the info about the mission along the way. Yet it gives the modern duo a chance to see Ancient Greece in all its glory. The lush green fields and bright blue sky help make the trip more interesting that normally expected. The sun was at an average point in the sky, nothing too hot, as if to really bother any of the quartet. Only the most cursory of glances showed to the Doctor that Yaz was having the time of her life. It seemed like for the first time since she had seen her before she got arrested, Yaz was just enjoying what was going on. No fear and worry over the Doctor and what was happening with her. They had enjoyable adventures in the Tardis since then, but here, it felt like she didn’t have a care in the world. As much as it pleased her, she hoped Yaz realized that this could be potentially a serious matter and to treat it like so.

The horses stopped outside this gorgeous castle, illuminated even more by the sunlight. It was the colour of gold, making it well known that the person who owned it wanted their wealth shown. The building itself stretched down an entire street in width, whilst it was about 20-30 feet long. The Doctor hoped the actual king who inhabited it wasn’t as shallow as his castle made him out to be.

They initially ran into a bit of trouble at the entrance, two burly guards blocking their path. Seeing the situation that had brought the quartet here in the first place, it was no surprise that it was like that. Xena sorted out the problem however, giving her name to them, which caused them to step aside and let them through.

“Her reputation precedes her, it seems.” the Doctor said as they made their way into the castle. She was impressed at the ease with which the mere mention of her name made the guards take notice.

“She’s one of the most famous people in Greece around this time. Her name means something.” Yaz explained, her fandom shining through in this moment.

“Well, I’m perfectly fine with the old reliable psychic paper to get me into places.” the Doctor said, smiling, as she took out and then brandished the paper.

“Surely, you must have a big reputation, Doctor, all the good work you do.” Yaz inquired, never really hearing people speak about the Doctor when they went on their travels.

The Doctor bristled a little bit, Yaz’s inquiry catching her off guard. “Yeah, I did once. But it almost cost me one of the people I loved. From then on, I realized having a low profile was the best thing you can have when you travel like me. Imagine if someone went after you to get to me, I’d never forgive myself.” she said, a bit more serious than usual. The last thing she wanted was for Yaz to be caught in the middle of her affairs and her battles. Demon’s Run still held a place in her brain and hearts. A message to herself to never be that well known ever again, lest the people she loved get hurt in the process.

The Doctor then felt Yaz’s hand grasp her own as she saw the young police officer give her a comforting smile. “I appreciate the concern you have for me, thank you.” she said as she briefly found her eyes locking with the Doctor’s, before pulling them away and looking down at her feet.

The journey through the castle ended at the King’s bedroom, strangely only being looked over by one guard. One would expect it to be the most heavily guarded in the castle, but it appeared to be quite different. As they got in through Xena’s rep once again, the Doctor and Yaz got their first look at the King. He seemed as if he wasn’t more than 30-40 years old. He was in decent shape for a man his age, but his face betrayed the rest of his body. His relatively young face looked tired, and his eyes looked older than he did. This man had seen conflict, had seen loss, and experienced the latter a lot more than anyone ever should. Even his hair was greying at the front, something that shouldn’t normally happen to a man his age, stress ruling his life. Yet he still tried to put on a brave face and smile for Xena as she greeted him.

“Gabrielle, Doctor, Yaz, this is King Hypeirochus. He helped me out with a problem a year or two ago.” Xena said, introducing the King to the trio. They all bowed in front of him to show respect, although the Doctor was maybe half a second slower than everyone else.

“There is no need. Any friend of Xena’s is a friend of mine. I’m glad you arrived so quickly.”

“We had to come as soon as possible. Hearing about Latona just made my heart sink. Finding her was priority number one for me.” Xena said, explaining herself. She had met Latona when she was there before, being impressed by the teenager's intelligence and passion for the arts. Hearing that something happened to her urged her to take this mission on, as soon as possible.

“Can you tell us what happened, or at least what you know to have happened?” the Doctor asked, wanting to get right into the investigation.

“Well, right before we went to bed, I kissed Latona good night and went to my room. In the middle of the night, one of the guards heard a crash and went to investigate it. Then when the morning came, I heard the scream of Latona’s handmaiden. Rushing over the source of the scream, I reached Latona’s room and saw one of my guards dead on the floor, and Latona’s bed empty,” Hypeirochus said as he tried to keep his composure, not wanting to break down in front of everyone here, “since her mother died five years ago, I’ve really tried to make sure she has as great a life as possible. But I failed her, just like I failed her mother.”

Gabrielle went over to console the now teary eyed King, putting her arm around him. “This wasn’t your fault. You weren’t to have known this was going to happen. Don’t blame yourself.” She couldn’t imagine the pain he must have been going through at this point. To lose your wife and now potentially your daughter seemed unbearable.

“I really am sorry, Hypeirochus, but we’re gonna have to keep going here. I know it hurts, but the only chance we have of finding her is for you to give us as much information as possible. For instance, were you at war with any rivals kingdoms?” the Doctor inquired with a solemn tone. This regeneration was a lot more sensitive to the feelings and emotions of humans, something she was very thankful at the moment.

“No, no, we’re not,” he said, shaking his head, “We have been in a period of peace for the last decade. That is why this is so shocking. There are no suspects who we believe could have done it.”

A kidnapped princess, a death of a guard and no actual suspects. This was getting interesting to the Doctor. She didn’t want to bother the King further so the next course of action had to be looking for clues. They would start in Latona’s room. “Thank you for your time, Hypeirochus. All we ask now is the location of the Princess’ bedroom. Maybe we can find some clues leading to who took her and her whereabouts there.” she asked, as cautiously as she could.

“I’ll take you there. I know the way. Let’s go.” Xena said, as the four made their leave out of the King’s room. When the others had left, Xena quickly went back to the King and took his hands in her own. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her and get her back here safe.” she told him with a reassuring smile. His solemn but understanding nod was all she needed as a response as she joined the trio outside.

* * *

The Princess’ room wasn’t too far from her father’s, finding itself at the end of the hall from his. The quartet entered the room as carefully as possible, not wanting to disturb anything that might be evidence. They spread out around the room, trying to cover as much ground as possible. It was the Doctor who found something interesting first. There was a patch of blood on the bedside table of the Princess, a small one, like from a cut. Despite the outline still being on the floor, there was no blood on the floor where the guard was. A clean kill by his murderer, it seemed.

The Doctor took out the sonic and scanned the blood, trying to identify if it was the guard’s blood or not. The scan finished quickly, identifying it as female blood. Now they were getting somewhere. “Guys, come have a look at this.” the Doctor said, calling the others to her location.

“What is it? What have you found?” Yaz asked, eager and excited that the Doctor found something. She tried to temper it, however, not particularly wanting the Doctor to know how much she enjoyed this.

“There’s a patch of blood here on the Princess’ bedside table. But it doesn’t belong to the dead guard interestingly enough.” the Doctor said, as she looked at her sonic for more readings.

“Wait, how did you figure out that?” Gabrielle asked.

“Ah. With this, my sonic screwdriver. Handy little device that lets me find out a lot of things.” the Doctor said as she flicked the screwdriver in the air and caught it, just barely.

Xena and Gabrielle inspected it and were quite confused how such a little device could do that. They wanted to ask so many questions, but felt now wasn’t the time to do that. When the mission was over, they’d do so. “So, what does it being female blood mean?” Xena asked, intrigued by the Doctor’s finding.

“Well, not only does it mean that the guard’s death was bloodless, due to no other traces of blood elsewhere, but it means that this is the Princess’ blood as it is female blood. It’s still relatively fresh, so it was spilled most likely in the middle of the night.” the Doctor explained.

“So, there was most likely a struggle as the Princess was being taken, which probably led to the crash which got the guard's attention.” Gabrielle said, contributing.

“Bingo, gold star for you Gabrielle.” the Doctor said with a smile.

“Thanks” Gabrielle said with a smile. She didn’t really know what gold star she was referring to, but she took it as a compliment, as she expected it was supposed to be.

“So we know that it’s probably her blood, and that there was potentially a struggle. My question is, why was there no screaming? The King said there was a crash but no screaming.” Xena pondered. That was something that was bugging her from the time they finished with the King.

“Maybe the person who took her gagged her or something,” Yaz offered.

“No, I know Latona. She’s a fighter and not only that, she’s got a set of pipes on her. She would have been able to get off at least one scream before the guy got her.” Xena responded, her knowledge of the family coming into play.

While Xena, Gabrielle, and the Doctor pondered over what that meant for the investigation, Yaz wandered away on her own, trying to see if she could find anything else. As she made her way towards the window, she found something black on the floor. Upon closer inspection, she found that it was a piece of fabric. This was the clue they needed! She didn’t touch it for fear of messing it up, but she called them over. “Guys, come quick! I found something important.”

The trio rushed over and saw what their colleague had found. The three of them debated over who would pick it up first, allowing Xena to collect it first. She turned it over in her hand a few times, really feeling the texture of it. Her face seemed quite mystified from it, which didn’t bode well really for what they wanted to hear. “Well, what’s the verdict on it, Xena?” Gabrielle asked.

“It’s Athenian fabric. I know that by the make of it, but the fabric feels nothing like it. It’s weird. I don’t even think I’ve felt anything like this before.” Xena said, with a grimace on her face, due to not understanding it.

“Can I see it?” the Doctor asked Xena, hoping she could make heads or tails of it. After Xena gave it to her, the Doctor turned it over in her hand a few times as well. She knew what this texture was. She had felt it before. She was sure of it. She took out the screwdriver and scanned it for the proper final check. When the scan was complete, she looked at the readings and her eyes opened wide. “I knew it! I knew I had felt that texture before.” she said as she got quite excited.

“What, what is it?” Yaz asked, getting quite interested now, along with the other two.

“This is synthetic. This isn’t any ordinary cloth. In fact, I don’t think it’s cloth at all. It also definitely doesn’t belong to the Princess. I’d wager that this doesn’t belong to this time or place either.” the Doctor said as she put one more scan on it, “Right. It’s definitely that. I’ve also inputted the scan into the sonic and it’s given me back a signal to trace.”

“What does that mean?” Xena asked, quite confused by the Doctor’s words.

“It means that now I have a lock on the signature of it, so all we have to do is follow the signal and it will lead us to the next nearest thing that is synthetic.” the Doctor asked as she pocketed the piece they already found.

“Well, if you understand what’s going on, then by all means, lead the way.” Xena told her, allowing the Doctor to take charge. The trio followed the Doctor as they made their way out of the castle after they thanked the King for giving them his time. They set off back on their horses towards the city as they got their first solid lead at this mission. Now, all they had to do was follow that signal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seems our four heroes work well as a team. Now they just need to follow the signal, but what they find might not be what they expect.....


End file.
